Rack and pinion squeeze action wrench

ABSTRACT

A SOCKET TYPE WRENCH HAS A FIXED HANDLE AND A MOVABLE HANDLE FOR ONE HANDED OPERATION BY SQUEEZING, THE SOCKET ELEMENT HAVING A RATCHET PINION DRIVEN BY A SLIDING MULTIPLE TOOTHED RACK BAR WHICH IS CAM ACTUATED IN THE DRIVING STROKE AND SPRING RETURNED. A READILY READABLE TORQUE INDICATOR IS INCORPORATED INTO THE MOVABLE HANDLE.

- NOV. 2,1971 3, w, GREGORY 3,616,714

RACK AND PINION SQUEEZE ACTION WRENCH Filed Aug. 25, 1969 INVENTOR.GERRETT W. GREGORY jaw-18.1614

United States Patent 3,616,714 RACK AND PINION SQUEEZE ACTION WRENCHGerrett W. Gregory, 68 Casselman Place, Chula Vista, Calif. 92010 FiledAug. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 852,807 Int. Cl. B25b 13/00, 13/46 U.S. Cl.81-5739 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A socket type wrench has afixed handle and a movable handle for one handed operation by squeezing,the socket element having a ratchet pinion driven by a sliding, multipletoothed rack bar which is cam actuated in the driving stroke and springreturned. A readily readable torque indicator is incorporated into themovable handle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Squeeze action wrenches usually have a pawland ratchet action with a pivoted, spring biased pawl driven by asliding or rotary action. The pawl is often the weak point of the wrenchand motion is limited by the effective range of secure engagement of thepawl in the ratchet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is aside elevation view of the wrench;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wrench;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but with pressure applied to thewrench; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION 'OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The wrench is constructed in anelongated frame 10 having an integral fixed handle 12 extending from oneend, and a movable handle 14 pivotally mounted in the frame on a hingepin 16. Frame 10 comprises a pair of similar side plates 18 secured onopposite sides of a spacer block 20 to form fixed handle 12. Spacers 22,secured by rivets 24 or the like, hold the side plates in parallelalignment forward of the handle. At the forward end of the frame is asocket element 26 having opposed axially projecting hub portions 28which are rotatably held in close fitting openings 30 in the side plates18. The socket element 26 has a multi-sided bore 32 to receive square orhexagonal drive studs of interchangeable sockets and other such tools.Around the periphery of socket element 26, between side plates 18, areratchet teeth forming a pinion 34 integral with the socket element.

Movable handle 14 swings between an open position extending angularlyoutwardly from the frame, and a closed position substantially parallelto fixed handle 12. To limit the outward extension and facilitategripping, the movable handle has an inwardly offset stop portion 36which bears against a stop face 38 formed by the for- Patented Nov. 2,1971 "ice ward end of spacer block 20. Forward of stop portion 36 themovable handle has a substantially arcuate cam face 40, eccentric inrelation to hinge pin 16 and increasing in throw inwardly from the hingepin.

Slidably mounted in frame 10 is an elongated rack bar 42, the rear endof which has a curved bearing face 43 which rides against cam face 40.At the forward end the rack bar has multiple teeth 44 which engage theteeth of pinion 34. The rack bar is held in the frame by a guide pin 46fixed between side plates 18, and against which the outer edge of therack bar slides. On the inner edge of rack bar 42 is a recessed orbevelled lug portion 48, through which is a small attachment hole 50. Atthe forward outer corner of movable handle 14 is another recessed lugportion 52 with a small attachment hole 54. A tension type return spring56 has its ends secured in the holes 50 and 54 and is stretched betweenthe rack bar and movable handle. The single spring thus biases themovable handle 14 to its open position and holds the rack bar 42 incontact with cam face 40 and pinion 34 and, due to the two-way stretchduring the power stroke gives progressively greater pressure between theengaged teeth and thus prevents slippage particularly near the end ofthe power stroke.

When movable handle 14 is squeezed to the closed position, as in FIG. 5,cam face 40 drives the rack bar 42 longitudinally, causing teeth 44 todrive pinion 34 and rotate the socket element 26. It can be seen thatseveral teeth 44 are in simultaneous engagement with the teeth of pinion34, which provides a very strong drive arrangement. Also, by using amultiple toothed rack, effective driving engagement can be maintainedfor a greater degree of rotation of the socket element, than is possiblewith the usual single pawl. On release of pressure from the movablehandle 14, return spring 56 pulls the handle to the open position andpulls back the rack bar 42, the teeth 44 sliding over pinion 34 with aratchet action.

To extend the utility of the wrench, torque indicating means isincorporated into the movable handle 14 by pivotally separating theouter handle portion 58. The pivotal connection is made by a torque 60formed on the inner portion of the movable handle, which fits into aslot 62 in the outer handle portion, the two portions being connected bya hinge pin 64, so that the outer portion 58 swings in the plane of themovable handle. Secured to the inner edge of handle portion 58 is atorque limiting leaf spring 66, the free end 68 of which extends pastthe hinge connection and rests against the inner edge of the innerhandle portion. When the movable handle is squeezed against aresistance, the outer handle portion 58 will pivot and cause spring end68 to bend, as in FIG. 5. Since the wrench is intended for one handleoperation and is therefore limited in size, the leaf spring will beadequate for the torque forces encountered in the effective range ofuse. To provide visual indication of the torque, a pointer 70 is securedto hinge pin 64 by a screw 72 and fixed to move with handle portion 58by a lock pin 74. A scale 76 is marked in a suitable manner on the innerportion of movable handle 14, with convenient increments against whichpointer 70 can be read. The torque indicator structure does notinterfere with normal use of the wrench, but it would be a simple matterto lock the movable handle against bending if desired.

In addition to the squeeze action, which can be pumped rapidly, thewrench can be swung in its entirety for additional leverage whereclearance is sufficient. The rack and pinion will provide ratchet actionin this form of use also.

I claim:

1. A rack-and-pinion squeeze action wrench, comprising:

an elongated frame comprising a pair of side plates and having arearwardly extending fixed handle portion;

a movable handle at one side of and pivotally mounted in said frame andbeing movable between an open position extending angularly outwardlyfrom said fixed handle and a closed position substantially parallel tothe fixed handle;

a socket element having opposed axially projecting hu'b portionsrotatably held in close fitting openings in said side plates and havinga ratchet toothed pinion integral therewith;

a rack bar longitudinally slidably mounted in said frame, at the sidethereof remote from said movable handle, the forward end of said rackhaving tooth structure engaging said pinion;

said movable handle having a driving cam portion engaging the other endof said rack bar in a cam drive relationship so that said rack bar isdriven toward said pinion when said movable handle is pressed from saidopen position toward said closed position;

a single tension type return spring secured to and between said movablehandle and said rack bar and biasing said movable handle to openposition and said rack bar to a rearward position;

and a guide member (46) fixed in said frame at the side of said rack barto restrain the same against transverse displacement and assuringproperly directed camming of said rack bar;

said spring being on the side of said rack bar remote from said guidemember and said single spring bridging said movable handle and rack barwith both ends of the single spring forced away from each other when themovable handle is depressed and causing a two-way or double stretchingof spring giving accentuated pressure of the rack bar tooth structure onthe toothed pinion and preventing slippage near the end of the powerstroke of the rack bar.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said movable handle has an outerportion and an inner portion in tandem relationship and having a hingedconnection therebetween, said handle being pivoted to swingsubstantially in the plane of the frame, and a torque limiting springbridging said hinged connection.

3. A rack-and-pinion squeeze action torque Wrench,

comprising:

an elongated frame having a rearwardly extending fixed handle portion;

a movable handle pivotally mounted in said frame and being movablebetween an open position extending angularly outwardly from said fixedhandle and a closed position substantially parallel to the fixed handle;

a socket element rotatably mounted in the forward end of said frame andhaving a ratchet toothed pinion integral therewith;

a rack 'bar longitudinally slidably mounted in said frame, the forwardend of said rack bar having multiple teeth engaging said pinion;

said movable handle having a driving cam portion engaging the other endof said rack bar;

return spring means biasing said movable handle to open position andsaid rack bar to a rearward position;

said movable handle having an outer portion hinged to the inner portionthereof to swing substantially in the plane of the handle; a torquelimiting leaf spring on said outer portion and having a free endextending over and bearing on said inner portion, and torque indicatingmeans on said movable handle.

4. The structure of claim 2, wherein said torque limiting springcomprises a leaf spring fixed on said outer portion and having a freeend extending over and bearing on said inner portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,413,877 12/1968 Teichmeier81--58.1 X 1,512,194 10/ 1924 Benko. 2,954,715, 10/1960 Wycech 81-5739 XJAMES L. JONES, 1a., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

